1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for switching time-multiplexed signals transmitted on a carrier, as well as to a device embodying this process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The process of time-division switching presently used in digital telephone exchanges consists essentially in transferring each sample of the incident signal transmitted by the calling party from the time slot corresponding to this calling party to the time slot of the called party. Such transfer requires the memorization of incident samples for an interval depending on the time slots allocated to the calling and called parties. Such memorization, however, is possible only with immobilizable physical supports such as electrical charges or magnetic domains. It is not possible to immobilize and memorize electromagnetic radiation carrying signals, including in particular light.
If it is required to switch signals modulating light propagating, for example, through glass fibers, the light signal must first be converted into an electrical signal, the latter must then be processed conventionally, and the resulting electrical signal must again be converted into another light signal. This double conversion does not allow all the advantages that could be obtained by transmitting multiplexed signals over optical paths.